IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR, J.
Master Rahul Seth (Minor) – Petitioner
Versus
Mount Carmel School & Another – Respondents
W.P.(C.) No.11301/2009
Decided on : 31.08.2009
ANIL KUMAR, J. (ORAL)
The petitioner seeks direction for quashing the impugned letters dated 27th July, 2009 and 30th July, 2009 and to direct the respondent no.1 to allow the petitioner to join the classes and direction to respondent No.2 to take action against the respondent no.1 school. The petitioner was suspended for one month on account of persistent violation of dress code of wearing belt on the hips in an indecent manner. The father of the petitioner was given show cause notice and asked to give a personal assurance in writing that the disobedience will not be done by his son. Instead of showing remorse and counseling his son, the father of the petitioner threatened the Principal of the school and also called an SI of the police to the school and threatened with registration of a criminal case leading to indefinite suspension of the petitioner. The father of the petitioner, therefore, had filed a suit for perpetual/permanent injunction under Section 38 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 seeking direction to take back the letter of suspension dated 27th July, 2009 and to declare the suspension illegal. The suit of the plaintiff/petitioner was contested by the school contending inter alia that school is a prestigious school of Delhi and the petitioner was aware of the dress/uniform code as the elder brother of the petitioner was also a student of the school. The school also contended that not only the petitioner but other children were also issued notices for violating the dress code/uniform code. On persistent violation of the dress code, the petitioner was suspended for one month and the father of the petitioner was asked to give a personal assurance in writing that the disobedience will not be done by his son. However, the parents of the petitioner opted for confrontation with the school despite the fact that the act of the petitioner was not only in violation of the dress code/uniform code but was an indecent act which persisted despite notices and instead of appreciating the concern of the school, the father of the petitioner came back with a Sub Inspector of the Police and threatened the school Principal with lodging an FIR against the school.
The father of the petitioner contended in the suit filed by him that the Principal of the school humiliated him by calling a photographer and he was asked to give a public apology which is denied by the school in the written statement filed by the school before the Civil Judge. Rather a recorded CD had been filed by the respondent no.1 to show as to what had transpired in the office of the Principal. The petitioner in the suit filed through his father failed to get any interim relief. The father of the petitioner withdrew the suit on 25th August, 2009 with liberty to file it before the appropriate forum.
Instead of filing another suit, the petitioner has filed the present petition which tantamount to forum choosing in the facts and circumstances. The liberty granted to the petitioner’s father by the Civil Court was to file another civil suit. A civil Court does not grant liberty to file a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India nor on the basis of such liberty the petitioner can contend that the writ petition is maintainable. Learned counsel for the petitioner is unable to explain as to how the writ petition will be maintainable, after the suit was filed involving disputed question of facts, which was withdrawn. For subsequent events after 27th July, 2009 i.e another letter dated 30th July, 2009 and subsequent suspension for indefinite period of the petitioner which is alleged to be contrary to Delhi School Education Rules, either the pending suit on behalf of the petitioner could be amended or another suit could be filed. Even in the civil suit, the petitioner can challenge the indefinite suspension on the ground that it is contrary to the provisions of Delhi School Education Rules. The dispute is about the persistent indecent behavior
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